A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Genesis · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
Verſ. 2. ANd the fear of you, and the dread of you, &c.]
That abſolute ſoveraignty over the creatures, which man loſt by rebellion againſt God▪ is not now reſtored; onelyonly that remainder of ſoveraignty, vvhichwhich man had enjoyed ſince the Fall, vvas novv by promiſe confirmed unto Noah and his poſteritie, vvhence it is that even the moſt ſavage of them do naturally fear the face of man, though ſometimes by the juſt judgement of God they do as it vvere rebell, riſe up upon him, and hurt him.
Verſ. 3. Every moving thing that liveth ſhall be meat, &c.]
That is, you may eat of any of the creatures as freely as of the herbs that grovv out of the ground. Not that before the Floud they did eat nothing but herbs, &c. methinks (beſides many other arguments that might be brought againſt this conceit) that vvhichwhich is ſaid Matth. 24. 38. implies a greater liberty in feaſting, As in the dayes that were before the Floud they were eating and drinking, &c. onelyonly God novv reſtores unto Noah the lavvfull uſe of theſe things vvhichwhich vvere in a manner taken from them by the Floud; and the rather vvas this here made knovvn to Noah, to make vvay to that vvhichwhich follovveth in the next verſe, vvhichwhich is added as an exception to this generall grant, to vvit, that though they might eat freely of any of the creatures, yet not of things ſtrangled, out of vvhichwhich the bloud vvas not firſt let forth. Hovvever it is ſufficient for us hence to learn, that now it is lawfull to eat of any of the creatures, and that the law which made ſome beaſts, &c. unclean, and not allowed for food was not yet given to the Church of God.
Verſ. 4. But fleſh with the life thereof, which is the bloud, &c.]
The bloud is called the life of the fleſh, becauſe it is, as it were, the ſeat of the life and the vitall ſpirits, Levit. 17. 11. For the life of the ſleſh is in the bloud. And therefore though they might eat the ſleſh of beaſts, yet not with the bloud, that is, not except it were firſt orderly mortified and cleanſed o… the bloud; and this reſtraint doubtleſſe was impoſed upon them, to make them the more fearfull of ſhedding mans bloud: And we ſee the Apoſtles, Act. 15. 20. enjoyned the Chriſtians of thoſe times to obſerve this command, the rather happily becauſe it had been of ſuch ancient uſe, and ſo long obſerved amongſt the people of God, and would not eaſily therefore be left on a ſudden.
Verſ. 18. And Ham is the father of Canaan.]
This is both here and after, verſ. 22. added, both to imply the reaſon why▪ verſ. 25. the curſe is denounced againſt him, Curſed be Canaan; and alſo that the Iſraelites might know the accurſed ſtock from whence thoſe nations of the Caananites ſprang, with whom they had ſo much to do in the dayes of Moſes.
Verſ. 25. And he ſaid, Curſed be Canaan.]
Noah knowing what had paſſed (whether by revelation, or by the relation of his other ſonnes, we need not enquire) doth as a Prophet by the inſpiration of Gods ſpirit denounce this judgement, that the curſe of God ſhould fall upon him and his poſterity for this wicked fac…, and namely upon the Canaanites, who are therefore particularly mentioned, …ecauſe in them this curſe ſhould be moſt remarkably ſeen.
A ſervant of ſervants ſhall he be, &c.]
That is, a moſt baſe and vile ſervant: This is meant of the Canaanites, the progeny of Canaan, who were conquered and made bondſlaves by the Iſraelites (therefore called Canaans brethren, becauſe they were the poſteritie of Shem the brother of Cham) yea and by thoſe Weſtern nations which were the poſteritie of Japheth.
Verſ. 26. And he ſaid, Bleſſed be the Lord God of Shem.]
Noah foreſees by the inſtinct of Gods ſpirit, that God would enter into a ſpeciall covenant with the poſteritie of Shem, taking them to be his peculiar people, and binding himſelf to be their God. Now raviſht with joy in the conſideration of this extraordinary priviledge, he doth not barely pronounce this bleſſing, that God would be the God of Shem and his poſteritie, but expreſſeth it covertly in this thanksgiving, whereinto he breaks forth in the exceſſe of his joy, Bleſſed be the Lord God of Shem.
Verſ. 27. God ſhall enlarge Japheth.]
This (according to our tranſlation) muſt needs be a prediction of the great encreaſe of Japheths poſteritie.
And he ſhall dwell in the tents of Shem.]
A propheſie of that which came not to paſſe till many hundred years afterward, namely, that the Gentiles, the poſteritie of Japheth, having been along time ſeparated from the Church of God, which was to be eſtabliſhed amongſt the Iſra…lit…s, Shems progenie, ſhould at laſt be perſwaded by the preaching of the Goſpel to joyn with them in the worſhip of the ſame God, in the profeſſion of the ſame ſaith & ſo to become fellow-members of the ſame Church. Epheſ. 2. 13. But now in Chriſt Jeſus, ye who ſometimes were farre off, are made nigh by the blo…d of Chriſt; which was fulfilled when the Gentiles became Chriſtians.